Andy G: Chad Ford posted his Mock 8.0 today. Wolves take Fab Melo of Syracuse (!!!) at Number 18, immediately followed by the enigma from Baylor, Perry Jones III.

If you know anything about David Kahn, and if you know anything about Perry Jones III, you know that it would absolutely crush our POBO–perhaps to the point of tearful pouting–to have this type of LENGTH AND ATHLETICISM suffer the Adelman Family Veto.

What do you think? (more below the fold)

Patrick J: I’m not so sure Kahn is sold on Jones III. How’s his smile? Is his handshake firm? These are key ingredients of a Kahn draft pick–length and athleticism alone don’t do it for him. If they did, he would’ve held on to Nikola Mirotic.

Andy G: I’d like to confine the smile jokes to Kahn, but Adelman trotted out Wes with the starting lineup SIXTY-FOUR TIMES IN A SIXTY-SIX GAME SEASON this year. (Sorry, caps lock got stuck there.) Let’s cut to the chase: If Perry is sitting there at 18, what do you do?

Patrick J: It depends on who else is available. In that situation, I’d personally love to see them grab Jones III because he has Ibaka-like upside–not in that his game is like Ibaka’s but in that his talent level is extraordinary compared to the average mid-1st round pick. So is Royce White’s, but even if Royce ends up maxing out his potential *and* behaving, his ceiling is still lower than Jones III’s. That said, Kahn usually picks the guy I least want, so Ford’s probably right–we go with Fab Melo at #18.

Andy G: Aren’t you a little bit worried that, despite the other-worldly athletic gifts, PJ3 only averaged 14 & 8 (both rounding up)? He has a rep for getting lost in games. He also only shot 30 percent from (the college) three. I’ll play my own Devil’s Advocate for a moment and recognize that he played on a really good team with balanced production (much like Harrison Barnes, but not quite to that extent in either case) and that blending into team success is hardly something to get ripped for. Still though, he was a sophomore–one might expect something closer to 18 & 10 from him in the Big 12. I bet Adelman hates him as a Wolves target. If we’re talking first round, and we’re talking with Royce White or another intriguing prospect like Meyers Leonard on the board, I don’t think I’m comfortable taking Jones the Third. I’m not saying that I would be irate about it, but if a player this gifted falls that far, it’s probably because he’s not good. We both lost our tempers when McHale let DeAndre Jordan slip through his grasp in the 2nd Round, but that was a center with freakish tools. Little bit different than a wing, who needs world-class skill to play at the NBA level. Gerald Green appears to have finally gotten there after an almost-inexplicable turnaround via the D-League. It might take something similar to get NUMB#RS out of Jones in the League. I’ll give you the last word on this one…

Patrick J: This has been a stimulating intellectual exercise, but if Kahn & Co keep #18, they’re more likely to be gap filling than dice rolling since the gaps are massive and Adelman’s patience is limited. That means picking a 2 or a 3. Unlike seemingly every other Wolves fan in the blogosphere–except you, maybe–I’d be ecstatic if Austin Rivers fell to #18. I’d be even happier if Jeremy Lamb fell, but that’s looking less and less likely by the day. Given how much Kahn reportedly liked Drive-by Evans in ’09, he might not let himself pass up Tony Wroten. Wroten would be a classic Kahn pick because even if he has some size and talent, he’d be a horrible Timberwolf–he’s a ball dominator who can’t shoot, which we don’t need and can’t afford with a backcourt built around Rubio. Terrance Ross or Moe Harkless might be fine if either is available, but I’m not sold on either one of them. I’d rather trade the pick. It’s a bummer that our need is on the wing and not at PF–the list of guys who’re falling, or are projected to go low, now includes Jared Sullinger, White, and Arnett Moultrie.